Illegal immigrants are costing American taxpayers billions of dollars, and citizens should press federal lawmakers to pass legislation to alleviate it, a former veteran U.S. Border Patrol agent told the Upshur County Conservative Coalition at a fund-raising dinner in Pritchett Saturday night, Nov. 3.

Oscar Martinez, who said he spent 20 years on the U.S.-Mexico border, urged the organization at a chili supper to make elected officials “uncomfortable” with the current circumstances of illegal immigration, and said mass deportation of aliens would be worthwhile.

About 50 persons attended the supper and a gun raffle at the Pritchett Community Center, despite inclement weather.

Under President Obama, Martinez said, “Immigrants have fared better at finding jobs than the native born” Americans. During a certain period, 1.7 million immigrants received preference while only 418,000 native-born citizens found jobs, he said.

Some 16 million illegal immigrants reportedly hold jobs in the United States, and immigrants “can find jobs a lot quicker than our citizens can,” which is “amazing,” the speaker said.

Many illegal aliens will do any type of work that someone desires for little pay, Martinez said. They also collect welfare, so they can send their pay back home to their families in Mexico—and since they work for less money than American citizens, it prevents those citizens from getting employment, the speaker asserted.

Some $45 billion is sent out of the country annually to unlawful immigrants’ families, he said.

“What is our government doing to protect us and protect our country from (those coming across the border from Mexico)?” Martinez asked. “You’d be surprised how little information our government has on the southern border.”

The speaker also detailed what he said was the annual costs to taxpayers of illegal aliens.

In part, they included $11 billion to $22 billion spent by state governments for welfare; $2.2 billion for food assistance such as food stamps, the WIC program, and school lunches; $2.5 billion for Medicaid; and $12 billion on education for students who are here “illegally, and they cannot speak a word of English.”

Martinez said his daughter teaches fourth grade, and has told him the illegal students don’t even bring school supplies with them, “but you ought to see the cars their parents drive up in to pick them up.”

In addition, the nation spends $17 billion annually on “anchor babies”—children who are automatically American citizens by being born in the U.S., although their parents are illegal immigrants, Martinez said. And incarcerating illegal aliens costs $3 million daily, as 30 percent of federal prison inmates are illegals, he added.

Illegal aliens’ crime rate is two and a half times higher than non-aliens, and illegal immigrants commit nearly one million sex crimes annually, Martinez said.

“Do we have a problem? Yes, we do,” he said. “Stay in touch with our representatives. . . (and urge them to) do something to stop this.”

Martinez also said mass deportation of illegal aliens had been done twice, including once under President Dwight Eisenhower.

“Is it worth it? You betcha,” the former border patrolman said.

Many illegals receive welfare because their children are born in the United States. By getting a “child tax credit,” Martinez said, they receive “a big old check. . . and yet our government, knowing this, still allows it to happen.”

He urged the audience to contact legislators to support a U.S. Senate resolution (S. 3083), which would require verifying eligibility for the child tax credit.

Illegal aliens have their children born in America to help the parents stay in the country because government “doesn’t want to split (up) families,” Martinez said.

He urged support for H.R. 140—a federal bill that would, with some exceptions, prevent automatically granting citizenship to U.S.-born children whose parents are both illegal aliens.

Martinez also touted House Amendment 1265, which he said would prohibit using funds to enforce an executive order issued by then-President Clinton.

The order requires the federal government to provide translation and interpretation services to those with “limited English,” the speaker said.

Printing materials in multiple languages is a waste of taxpayer money, Martinez argued.

Noting he himself is Hispanic—but born in Texas, as were his parents and grandparents—he drew applause when he said, “My language is English.”

He added that “English is our language in this country,” and that someone must be proficient in it to become a naturalized American citizen.

Martinez also denounced the Dream Act, saying a union of immigration officers filed suit contending that the law passed to enforce it is illegal.

Those officers are having to turn illegal aliens loose, and the lawsuit says “they are being intimated” by being told not to stop or question such persons, Martinez said.

The speaker also said the large fence at the U.S.-Mexico border is not stopping illegal aliens from coming, because they are digging underneath it.

Martinez has said it best. I'm a retired Marine who gave this country 30 years of military service, my last name is Sanchez, and like Martinez I agree that we can not afford to give away our country with billions of dollars in benefits. I'm an American, and I don't use the hyphen to I.D. myself. The Mexican or Latinos in this country who have flocked to Obama's banner will soon be disappointed. Those citizens who identify, related or support illegals are a desperate people, willing to take any handout, demand benefits, to exhaust our government. They have been successful in making our lawmakers feel responsible for the welfare of their families. The Obama administration has demonstrated time and time again, that the American people are not important. He plans to bleed this country, give it away, and keep us divided. Obama, is not Latino and will continue to use the Latino community to meet his agenda. The Latino community would fare better trusting in an African-Puerto Rican, and African-Mexican, an African Cuban, than an African from a small village Kenya attached with a great cover story that he was born in Hawaii. We need a dignified process to correct this free card of mass illegal entitlements.

Very well said, coming from a hispanic/latino. Obama stated today in his post-election news conference that hispanics/latinos are on the rise but how could they not if no one is holding them accountable for breaking the laws and continue to reward them for breaking the law. Automatic citizenship for kids or anyone needs to come to a halt now because it is a scam to be put ahead of those who follow the rules to come here. Of course any race will be the majority if they are not forced to obey the law like those who sneak into this country or overstay their visas.